Foundation garment



Sept. 15, 1964 s. COUSINS FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Dec. 4, 1961 INVENTOR. SYDNE C OUS/NS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,148,682 FOUNDATION GARMENT Sydne Cousins, 345 W. 58th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Dec. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 156,724 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-535) This invention relates to undergarments and more particularly to a girdle adapted to encircle the torso of a wearer, and which will effectively control and contour the fleshy thigh region of the wearer of the undergarment.

In the conventional girdle, the bottom edge of the garment is generally disposed to tightly encircle the thigh region of the wearer. It is quite well-known that this particular region of the body, over which such edge is disposed, is often quite fleshy and flaccid. It thus becomes obvious that the restraining force of such conventional lower edge, necessarily being taut, will create rolls, bulges and protuberances of the flesh, and additionally will dig and cut the soft fleshy tissue therealong, especially of a person endowed with particularly heavy thighs.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a girdle which will contour the thigh region of the wearer without digging or cutting the fleshy region along the bottom edge of such garment.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a girdle adapted to eliminate bulges, rolls and protuberances of flesh bordering the lower perimeter thereof so as to achieve a completely smooth figure line, especially in the area of the thighs.

The normally taut lower edge of a conventional garment disposed to encircle the thigh region has further acted to restrain and limit the freedom of movement of a wearer, especially when Walking, sitting or assuming any normal physical attitude.

It is, therefore, an object herein to provide a girdle which will furnish support and control to the body of a wearer, but which will allow complete freedom of the legs and which will especially relieve undue stresses along the lower edge of the garment particularly while the wearer is walking, sitting, or assuming other physical attitudes.

In the conventional girdle, hose supporters are generally appended to the bottom edge at specific points therealong. Since the bottom edge of such conventional garment encircles the torso on a lateral plane, stresses exerted upon the edge tend to distort the garment upon the body of a wearer.

A further object, therefore, is the provision of means for securing hose supporters to the lower edge of a girdle so that stresses exerted thereupon will be dissipated throughout the lower portion of the garment rather than being concentrated at a single focal point.

In accomplishing the foregoing objects, there is provided a novel construction of the lower perimeter of a foundation garment adapted to alter the conventional laterally extending straight bottom edge thereof so that stresses normally concentrated upon a single focal point are dissipated throughout the lower portion of the body of the garment and at angles thereto. The unique construction, according to the present invention of the bottom edge of a girdle further makes possible elimination of digging and cutting of the fleshy area of the thighs as well as allowing unencumbered leg movement of the wearer.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those versed in the art from the following description of a particular embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in the drawing wherein like characters designate like parts in the several views and in which- FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the girdle according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the girdle as seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a further embodiment of the present invention illustrating attachment of hose supporters to the lower edge of a girdle.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a girdle 10 comprised of a front portion 11 and a rear portion 12, preferably of a fabric having a two-way stretch characteristic. Said front and rear portions 11 and 12, respectively, are joined along the vertical edges thereof to a pair of front central panels 13, 13, as illustrated in FIG. 1, to form a body-encircling structure. The top edge 14 of the garment may be provided with an elastic or plush band for retaining the garment in position upon the body of a wearer.

The bottom edge of the garment 10 is comprised of a deeply scooped central front portion 15, a similarly deeply scooped central rear portion 16 and scooped left and right side portions 17, 18, respectively. Intermediate said scooped central front portion 15 and said scooped left 17 and right 18 side portions, there is provided downwardly extending pointed portions 19 and 20 respectively, disposed generally at the front of the garment 10. Similarly, there is provided intermediate said scooped central rear portion 16 and said scooped left 17 and right 18 side portions, downwardly extending pointed portions 21 and 22, respectively, disposed generally at the rear of the garment 10. Such alternating scooped and downwardly extending pointed portions form a scallop-like structure which constitutes the bottom edge of the garment 10.

Disposed along the entire bottom edge formed by the aforementioned alternating scooped and downwardly pointed portions 15 to 22, inclusive, there is provided an elastic tape 23, said tape 23 overlapping upon itself at the apex of pointed portions 19, 20, 21 and 22 to form looped members 24 adapted to receive therein hose supporters 25.

It is obvious that the attachment of the hose supporters 25 to the loop members 24 at the apex of the downwardly extending pointed portions enables the supporters to exert an angular pulling force thereupon which because of the substantially triangular shape of such pointed portions effectively dissipates stresses throughout the lower section of the garment 10, rather than having such stress concentrated upon a single focal point along the bottom edge as is the case in a conventional garment.

Although tape 23 has been described as being elastic, a plush or other commonly used tape may be effectively utilized.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a panel 30 may be provided with a downwardly etxending pointed edge 31 which is adapted to be folded upwardly upon itself and secured by stitching 32 to form a loop 33 for the reception therein of a hose supporter 25 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

As has heretofore been indicated, in addition to dissipation of stresses exerted by the angular pull of hose supporters eifected upon the downwardly extending pointed portions, the wearer is provided with complete freedom of motion especially in walking, sitting or assuming other normal physical attitudes by the provision of scooped portions 15 and 16.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to the embodiments shown, it is apparent to those versed in the art that changes and modifications may be made herein, and as so changed, such modified structure would still fall within the ambit of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a body-encircling foundation garment having a Patented Sept. 15, 1964 I 3 4 bottom edge disposed to encircle the thigh region of the 3. In a body-encircling garment according to claim 1 body of a wearer, said bottom edge comprising: wherein said engaging means comprise a loop member (a) scooped front, rear and side portions; formed by folding and securing said pointed portion upon (b) a downwardly extending pointed portion intermeitself to receive therein said hose supporter.

diate each of said scooped portions; 5 (c) hose supporters; and References Cited in the file of this patent (d) engaging means securing said hose supporters to UNITED STATES PATENTS said garment at the apex of the downwardly extend- 898,749 Kops Sept 15 1908 mg Pomted P P 2,136,250 Peck Nov, s, 1938 2. In a body-enclrcllng garment accordlng to claim 1 10 2,143,815 pridolph Jam 10 1939 wherein said engaging means comprise a resilient tape 2,530,850 Atchley Nov. 1950 member stitched to the bottom edge of said garment, 2 732 55 Erteszek Jam 31 5 said tape member being free of attachment at the point FOREIGN PATENTS of said downwardly extending pointed portions to form a loop member for receiving therein said hose supporter. 15 2 9,152 swltzerland June 17, 1940 

1. IN A BODY-ENCIRCLING FOUNDATION GARMENT HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE DISPOSED TO ENCIRCLE THE THIGH REGION OF THE BODY OF A WEARER, SAID BOTTOM EDGE COMPRISING: (A) SCOOPED FRONT, REAR AND SAID PORTIONS; (B) A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING POINTED PORTION INTERMEDIATE EACH OF SAID SCOOPED PORTIONS; (C) HOSE SUPPORTERS; AND (D) ENGAGING MEANS SECURING SAID HOSE SUPPORTERS TO SAID GARMENT AT THE APEX OF THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING POINTED PORTIONS. 